Emerging Roles of microRNAs in Ischemic Stroke: As Possible Therapeutic Agents / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and physical disability worldwide. The consequences of stroke injuries are profound and persistent, causing in considerable burden to both the individual patient and society. Current treatments for ischemic stroke injuries have proved inadequate, partly owing to an incomplete understanding of the cellular and molecular changes that occur following ischemic stroke. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are endogenously expressed RNA molecules that function to inhibit mRNA translation and have key roles in the pathophysiological processes contributing to ischemic stroke injuries. Potential therapeutic areas to compensate these pathogenic processes include promoting angiogenesis, neurogenesis and neuroprotection. Several miRNAs, and their target genes, are recognized to be involved in these recoveries and repair mechanisms. The capacity of miRNAs to simultaneously regulate several target genes underlies their unique importance in ischemic stroke therapeutics. In this Review, we focus on the role of miRNAs as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as promising therapeutic agents in cerebral ischemic stroke.

Effects of plum extract on skeletal system of fetal and newborn mice

To evaluate the effects of Prunus domestica L. extracts on fetuses and neonatal skeletal systems. A total of 32 pregnant mice [Mus musculus] received vehicle and plum hydroalcoholic extract at gestational days 1-18 and during the entire gestational period as well as 10 days postpartum, respectively. A total of 30 nonpregnant mice were fed plum hydroalcoholic extract and plum juice extract for 30 days. Bone calcium content and serum concentrations of calcium, magnesium and alkaline phosphatase were measured. The skeletal systems of their fetuses and neonates were stained with Alcian blue and alizarin red S and the length of femur, tibia, and their ossification center were measured. Crown-rump length of the newborn mice from mothers treated with plum extract [4.61 +/- 0.25 mm] was higher compared to the control group [4.48 +/- 0.31 mm, p = 0.001], and the femur osteogenesis index of newborn mice from mothers treated with plum extract was also higher [0.87 +/- 0.09] compared to the control group [0.81 +/- 0.06, p = 0.007]. The findings showed that pregnant mice treated with plum extract had fetuses and newborn mice with higher osteogenesis index than those of the controls